The Girl Of Ice
by Kraven Ergeist
Summary: Aang deals with his feelings for Katara, as they spar amidst water and ice. A x K, CH 2 IS UP!
1. Chapter One

**Avatar Fan Fiction**

**The Girl Of Ice**

Kraven Ergeist

A/N: This takes place immediately after episode twenty. Not sure if this will be one shot or not.

xxxxx

She was, by all counts, his superior in Water Bending. But that wasn't going to stop him from trying to best her. And certainly, it was no reason to give up his favorite sparring partner.

Aang leapt as the ice beneath him gave way into a plume of water. He soared through the air as the water chased him. He reached out to where the ice was untouched and the ice extended into a thin icicle, which he caught in his hand. It pulled him out of harms way, and he swung in a circle, using his centrifugal force to swing himself towards Katara, his free hand to scooping up a ball of ice and hurling it at her.

She caught the ice easily, twirling it into plumes of water, which she hurled at the monk.

Aang caught he water, rematerialized it into ice and threw it back at her. Katara, however, had already prepared another ball of ice, and had hurled it at him. The two snowballs impacted in midair, and the two forces battled, one finally giving way.

Into Aang.

"AAAH!"

Katara giggled as Aang was suddenly covered into a huge pile of snow. "You have to maintain control over the ice, Aang."

The pile of snow didn't respond.

"Aang?"

Suddenly, Aang burst from the ice behind Katara's feet, wrapping his arms around her.

"I got you!" Aang cried.

Katara stared back at him, grinning. "No…I got you."

Aang suddenly saw the shattered ice he had just burst through had condensed, trapping his legs into place.

"Hey, lemme go!" Aang gripped, tugging at his legs.

"Well, then you let _me_ go!" Katara smiled back.

"You're gonna have to _make_ me!" Aang taunted.

"That shouldn't be too hard," Katara giggled, before reaching back and tickling his sides.

"Yaaaah!" Aang blurted releasing the girl. "Hey, no fair!"

Katara stepped away, brushing herself off. "All's fair in love and war, Aang."

Aang pouted. "But this is just practice!"

"Exactly," Katara smiled. "If it were the real thing, I wouldn't have gone so easy on you."

"Oh, that's it!" Aang shouted. "When I get out of this…"

Katara waved her hand, turning to go. "You won't be getting out of those bindings too soon, Aang. I'm concentrating all my effort into those tiny pieces of ice. You'll have to do something pretty spectacular if you want to break out of there."

"You mean like this?" Aang smirked, hovering over her on a ball of swirling air.

Katara gaped. "What the…hey, no Air Bending! This is strictly training for Water Bending!"

Aang laughed. "Maybe you should learn it. Besides, you said it yourself: all's fair in love and war."

Katara turned her nose up. "Alright, fine. That's enough training for today."

Aang pouted, landing on his feet. "Aw, man!"

Katara held up her finger. "None of that! Now bow to your sensei – remember, you're going to be learning from _me_ from now on."

Aang rolled his eyes, bowing. "Thank you, Master Katara, _ma'am_!"

Katara gritted her teeth. "You watch it, or I'll sick Appa on you."

Aang gawked. "Appa would never betray _me_!"

Katara grinned. "He would for me, since I know that one place on his belly that he just loves to be scratched."

Aang sighed. "Alright, alright, you win."

Katara waved her finger. "And don't you forget it."

"Hey, where're you going?" Aang called as he watched Katara leave.

"Sokka's still pretty shaken up over what happened," Katara sighed. "I'm going to go try to cheer him up."

Aang nodded. "Alright. Take care of him, Katara."

They waved and parted ways, leaving Aang to wander by himself.

It was just too frustrating, now that Katara was nearly at a master level. All that ability was making her ego swell over itself. That, of course, made it all the more frustrating for Aang. They were still friends, but sometimes, she could just get under his skin enough to make his blood boil.

And in a good way – which was part of the problem. Aang blushed, remembering that brief moment when he held her. She had been soft and warm, and the way her body felt against his was enough to make his heart race. If his hands had slid just a bit higher…

Aang slapped his cheeks and sighed. He needed to keep his mind off of her and on his training. The only problem was, at the moment, the two were intertwined.

Aang sat up on a bridge and looked out at the ocean. The master and his disciples had already left for the south village. All he could do was remain here, training and pining for a girl who only saw him as a friend.

Momo showed up and Aang patted his head. He supposed it was better that she was at least a friend. She was wonderful company, even if they weren't romantic, and she had saved his life multiple times in their journey. He couldn't imagine life without her.

But still…

He patted Momo's head as the lemur nuzzled up against Aang's tunic for warmth.

But still, he couldn't help but feel this innate desire for her. Like she was the most precious thing on earth. He feared that if she knew his feelings, she would reject them. She would hide behind every thinkable excuse: that training to become the Avatar was more important, that as a monk, he was bound to celibacy, that her own journey to become a master Water Bender was her only desire…

No matter the excuse, Aang's feelings would never change. He knew that beyond a shadow of a doubt. If a hundred years imprisoned had earned him nothing else, they had given him the ability to tell him what his heart truly felt. He valued her life over his own. He wanted to be with her, to live out his days with her, to spend the rest of his life in endless pursuit, if only to see her smiling face at the end.

Lying on his back, Aang felt the warm tug of slumber, and drifted off.

xxxxx

A/N: Well, that's a decent start. The only problem is I have no idea where to take this. The romance factor will only travel so far. Avatar is such a worldly story, that it requires more than just one genre to do true justice to. I'll do my best, though.


	2. Chapter Two

**Avatar Fan Fiction**

**The Girl Of Ice **

By Kraven Ergeist

xxxxx

Chapter Two

Aang's training continued. Days became weeks, and slowly but surely, his powers grew. Soon, he could bend water as well as Katara could. His greatest triumph, however, was when he discovered that he could seize control of elements from the one wielding them much sooner than any other bender.

It happened when he and Katara were sparring as they did every day on the ice. She sent an icicle hurdling his way, and it had traveled no farther than three inches from her hands before it turned around, melted and splashed her in the face.

"Hey!"

Aang just laughed and posed, waving his hand, gesturing for more.

"Don't get too cocky, Aang!" Katara smirked, as she brought the ice up from under his feet. She suddenly felt the ice yanked from her control, and the pillar of ice became a wave that rushed her. She brushed it away, and Aang landed squarely in front of her.

"Classic Jujutsu," Aang grinned. "Turning your opponent's attack back on you."

Before Katara could reply, Aang sent a plume of water hurdling at her. Katara caught it easily, redirecting it back at him. But it traveled less than a foot before it turned tail and splashed her again, sending her toppling at his feet.

"You're still my superior when it comes to creating water based attacks and using them," Aang explained, crouching down next to her, offering a hand. "But I outclass you in terms of sheer control over the element."

Katara pouted. "Well, at least there's still one thing I can outdo you in…"

Aang let out a shout as Katara knocked his legs out from under him.

"You still have a lot to learn about hand to hand combat," Katara smirked, pinning his wrists to the ice.

Aang hid a blush as Katara's weight pressed down on him uncomfortably. "Nice try…"

The ice around them suddenly came up and engulfed them in a pile of snow, their heads sticking out end, Katara's above Aang's.

"Now you're stuck," Aang snickered.

"Don't forget," Katara smirked back. "You're stuck in here with me."

Aang smiled. "I'm willing to wait as long as it takes for you to admit that you lost."

Katara leered, not one to give up easily. "You think I've lost?"

Aang shrugged; a difficult thing to do when you're buried under a pile of snow. "How are you gonna get out? I have completely control over the ice."

Katara smiled sweetly. "Maybe I don't mind it so much…" She rubbed her nose against his. "It's kind of cozy in here anyway."

Aang yelped, releasing the ice immediately, bursting out in a panic.

Katara couldn't contain her laughter. "Gosh, Aang, it doesn't take much to get under your skin, does it?"

Aang pouted, getting indignantly to his feet. "Don't mess with me like that, Katara!" he shouted, throwing her a glare.

Katara blinked as the boy ran off into the city. "Aang?"

Before she knew it, he had disappeared.

xxxxx

"Aang?"

Katara found Aang eventually, secluded on one of the many tresses connecting the town to the wall, which offered a perfect view of the sea.

Aang didn't reply. Momo, seated by him, eyed Katara curiously.

"Aang, what's wrong?" Katara asked, standing behind him.

"Nothing," the Air Bender snuffed, turning away.

"Aang, I'm sorry," Katara said, sitting down next to him. "If what I did back there made you uncomfortable, then I won't do it again, okay?"

Aang hopped up off his seat. "Ugh…you just don't get it, do you Katara?"

Katara blinked. "Get what?"

Aang pouted. "Nothing, never mind."

"Aang…" Katara pleaded.

Aang said nothing. Instead, he flipped open his glider and sailed off.

"Aang!"

Katara, again, watched him sail off.

"I guess he just wants to be alone, huh Mom?"

The lemur just scratched his ear.

xxxxx

Katara found Sokka moping by the pond in the oasis. He had spent much of his time there. Katara knew that he had felt strongly for Yue, but she also knew her brother enough to know that he would recover eventually. He just needed time.

She, however, needed answers.

"Sokka," Katara greeted, sitting next to him.

His stare was blank and sagely. When he'd first arrived there, he hadn't taken his eyes off the white koi fish that circled the pond, but now they were pale and unfocused.

"Katara," he replied, not moving.

Katara sat down next to him. "How've you been?"

Sokka nodded. "Better."

Katara smiled. "That's good."

There was a silence that passed between them.

Sokka drew in his breath. "So, what is it?"

Katara blinked. "Huh?"

"Look," Sokka sighed. "We both know something's bothering you. Just tell me and get it over with."

Katara resigned the point. "Well…it's Aang. He's upset about something, but he won't tell me what it is. He won't even talk to me, and I'm worried that I've done something wrong."

Sokka nodded. "Yep, that sounds about right."

Katara glanced his way. "What do you mean?"

Sokka shrugged. "Aang's had a crush on you for weeks now, Katara."

Katara blinked. "What? Get serious, Sokka. Not every guy is like you, you know."

Sokka shook his head. "Believe that you think, I'm just telling it how I see it. Aang looks at you the same way I looked at Yue."

Katara harrumphed, getting to her feet. "You're just imagining things, Sokka. Aang's not like that."

Sokka waved her off. "It's true, Katara, I'm telling you."

Katara marched out of the oasis without saying goodbye, a stubborn pout on her lips. As soon as she was out of sight, however, her eyes softened.

Could it be true? Did Aang…really have those kinds of feelings for her?

It would mess up everything! His training, her training, his role as the Avatar…he was a monk, for crying out loud! There was already enough at stake without worrying about being in a romantic relationship with one of his companions.

Besides, Sokka was being his usual dense self. So what if he thought that Aang had a crush on her? And even if he was, it was just a crush. It didn't mean he was in love with her or anything…

Katara brought a hand to her face. Why the hell was she blushing?

The man you're going to marry…I can see that he's a very powerful bender… 

Unbidden, the fortuneteller's words came to her mind. Was Aang not destined to be the most powerful bender on the planet?

But that was just a fortuneteller's word! It had been proven false before! What could she rely on to let her know if Aang truly felt that way about her?

Katara paced off. She could simply as him in person.

She shook her head. "No, no, no way am I doing that!"

But what could she do? How could she know for sure?

Katara balled her hand into a fist. She _had_ to find out!

xxxxx

A/N: Well, that's my second chapter. Like it, hate it, print it out and urinate on it, whatever your opinion is, read and review.


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